Today is Sunday, ergo John Avise has provided us with a themed batch of bird photos. His narrative and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.
Throats and Chins
Last week’s post featured avian species with colorful caps and the word “crown” in their official names. Another colorful area in the plumages of many birds is the general region under the bill. This week’s post shows several examples in which the common name of the species refers to the color of the bird’s throat or its chin. Unless otherwise noted, all photos were taken in Southern California.
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens:
Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri:
Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata:
Black-chinned Sparrow, Spizella atrogularis:
Black-throated Blue Warbler, Dendroica caerulescens (Florida):
Black-throated Gray Warbler, Dendroica nigrescens:
Yellow-throated Warbler, Dendroica dominica (Florida):
Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris (Michigan):
Red-throated Loon juvenile, Gavia stellata (only the breeding adult shows a bright red throat):
Yellow-throated Vireo, Vireo flavifrons (South Carolina):
White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis:
White-throated Swift, Aeronautes saxatalis:
Aeronautes, what an excellent name for that genus. Conversely, black-chinned hummingbird is a terrible common name. I wasn’t aware that birds even had chins. But, all the photos are lovely. I am especially taken by the Amphispiza bilineata. What a dapper little bird.
Thanks for the lovely set of photos. The warblers and hummers are my faves.
Thanks for brightening up this dreary Sunday. Great pix!
Hmmm. I wonder what is the evolutionary explanation for some birds having brightly colored throats.